Once the Emperor was done talking, Ethan did not waste any time in making the next plan of action. According to the Emperor, the island was run by Northland with its administrator being a familiar face.Last Spice.He had encountered her during the auction that Poltergeist had hosted, and back then, he had made the worst impression, which meant that she was sure to have a grudge against him.But that didn't mean he was going to change his mind about going to the island.Even as it was clear to see that the island was a death trap, Ethan didn't hesitate for a second to book the ticket he needed to get to the harbor where there would be a ship waiting to take people to the island for the auction.There was no other way to get to the island so he could only hope that he would be able to sneak onto the ship without issues.Aquila suggested coming along but Ethan decided against it as he felt that it would be too dangerous for her.It would be better if he went alone so that he would be a
One thing Ethan hated was being bullied and that did not change even now.Just then, Daniel felt a cold draft causing him to stiffen as it felt like raw killing intent.Just as the tension in the atmosphere was about to reach a new high, Gary suddenly stepped up, his old eyes scanning Ethan's form before remarking.“I apologize for my son's outburst, he can be rather spirited whenever he feels like the family name is slighted.”“Is that so?”“Indeed.” Gary pursed his lips before remarking. “I believe introductions are in order. I am Gary Gunther, and this is my son, Daniel; you are?”“You may call me Phantom.”“I see,” Gary muttered before adding. “Nice to meet you.”“Likewise.” They greeted cordially but even a fool would be able to notice the underlying tension.“I hope you aren't offended about the car we ruined.”Ethan shrugged. “Wasn't worth much anyway so it doesn't matter anyway.”“A man of substance, I see. But that isn't right; how about I pay for the repairs? It's the least
Just as he suspected, his infiltration had failed. Since Lady Spice was working for the GK Council and they were expecting him, there was no way they wouldn't tell her about him.It also didn't help his cause that Poltergeist was in their grasp so it would be easy for Lady Spice to verify that he was the same person that had messed with her the last time they met.Though unfortunate, he expected it and so didn't panic, maintaining his composure as he inquired. “What now?”At this point, the others were curious about their conversation, struggling to figure out why Phantom had been approached out of the blue. “The lady would like to meet with you.” the man replied. An audible gasp escaped the lips of everyone present as they couldn't believe their ears, pleasantly surprised at the name mentioned. To think that the Lady Spice would wish to meet with Phantom.Mister Gary was thankful that despite everything, he had stopped his son from attacking Ethan else they would have ended up in
“Don't act dumb, Spice. You and I both know that your offer is completely ridiculous yet you still called me over. What exactly were you expecting?... That I accept your offer with open arms?”Spice remained silent, her expression impassive as she watched Ethan berate her.Finally, she let out a sigh before moving to take a seat across from him. Then she began. “Fine then, here's the catch. We want a way into the Empire and I am willing to bet that you are capable of being such a person. Champion our cause and absolutely nothing will be far from your reach.”“You wish for me to betray my motherland?”“Exactly. We wish to bring the empire down. They have stood for way too long but they are past their glory days. Lumina needs to fall for Northland to rise.”“And you think that I'd let you destroy the Empire?”“Oh come on, don't start acting patriotic. I can assure you that making you a citizen of Northland would be as easy as ABC. No need to overthink things.”“And the Council?”“We co
By the time Ethan arrived at the auction venue, others were already there with several making conversations and forming cliques in the process while keeping wide berths from those that they considered enemies.His presence quickly drew the attention of quite a few parties as they couldn't help but ponder the depths of this young man who had dared to show up at such an esteemed gathering.Every other attendee was connected to a ridiculously rich family with no single person which meant that Ethan stood out as an outlier.Due to his disguise and the fact that he wasn't using his real name, they were unable to determine who he truly was and what right he had to be in their midst.Some had even begun to speculate that he was connected to the GK Council or perhaps he was connected to Lady Spice but even then, they didn't feel like he belonged in their midst. His heroics were enough to make many ponder if he was truly all that considering he had gone against the Gunther family and gotten o
Instinctively a few began to look down on the Sarabias, but the Family head did not care.He had seen it in Ethan's eyes, the unique image of murder.If he didn't stop this, Aiden would die tonight.Unfortunately, even his son failed to see what he saw.“What nonsense are you saying, Dad?... This fool has slandered our family name and deserves to be put in his place, else he'd think everyone is like the weaklings he humiliated back at the harbor.”“Hmm.”“Aiden, I said back down.”“I don't accept that father. Now watch me put this fool in his place.” Aiden remarked, already prepared to humiliate Ethan.Ethan sighed before shoving Aiden aside after which he began to move in a different direction.“You coward!... Run as much as you like but know that you will always remain a coward!”Ethan finally paused in his step.Aiden grinned from ear to ear, knowing he'd done well in ensuring Ethan's disgrace at the party, with several already looking upon Ethan as a coward.To think that the Gunt
Ethan's heroics had done well to draw many to him with the other leaders approaching him, especially Gary and his son Daniel.Gary was the first to approach him, using the pretext of forcing Daniel to apologize to Ethan for his actions earlier.Ethan naturally knew what he wanted and so did well to keep a distance, accepting the apology while making it clear that he wouldn't back down from the auction.“If I may ask, what makes the invitation so important that you are willing to stand alone?” Gary inquired.Even as others had decided to leave Ethan, considering he wasn't planning on joining their camp, Gary had stayed, causing Ethan to question him.“Why are you still here?”“I asked first.”Ethan rolled his eyes before responding. “I have to save someone and to do that, I need the ticket.”Gary's eyes flashed with understanding as he inquired. “Someone you cared about is taking part in the Gauntlet?”Ethan raised a brow causing Gary to cough awkwardly. “Ah, sorry, it's my turn to ans
Though the ticket being auctioned off could not generate money by itself, it presented an opportunity greater than anything: a chance to be acquainted with some of the most powerful members of modern society.Since they couldn't achieve the power themselves, it was only right that they gain it through other sources.As long as they could attend the Gauntlet, even those powerful bastards would have to accept that their wealth is something worth respecting.It would be easy to gain a powerful ally that would aid them in further establishing their roots.With such prospects, it wasn't shocking that the moment Spice announced the starting bid, the greatest bidding war to ever occur in that auction hall began.From 50, it quickly arrived at 500, inching closer to the 800 mark.Most had already dropped out at this point, realizing that true to expectations, in the world of the nouveau riche, there was always someone richer.It was disappointing but one had to know when to concede a loss.“D